Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
The Edo State Police Command, yesterday, declared one Eboni Rechael Osazee Iyonmana wanted for allegedly defaming the chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists Edo State Council, Mr Festus Alenkhe.
Addressing newsmen at the state command headquarters, Benin, the Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said, the said Eboni, is a Nigerian based in Canada.
He said the complainant woke up to see a publication on the internet credited to the Canadian based lady accusing him of kidnapping and other crimes capable of tarnishing his image.
“This is a special press briefing that bothers on offences under cyber crime acts and the Commissioner of Police has ordered for this investigation.
“On the 10 of January, 2023, Mr. Festus Alenkhe, the current chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, woke up to see a publication on the internet by a lady known as Rechael Eboni Osazee Iyonmana.
“It appears that the lady based abroad and as we know that the world is a global village , anybody can communicate from one angle of the world to another angle of the world.
“That is why the complainant woke up on that 10 of January, 2023 to see a publication that was against him.
“And the cases we have here under what the suspect has done are defamation of character, cyber bullying, cyber stocking, false information, obscene publication.
The lady blackmailed the complainant, Mr. Festus Alenkhe, that he is a kidnapper, who goes about wooing ladies and siphoning their accounts of their hard earned money.
“These were the offences she alleged.
“But we all know that, that amount to the offences that I just mentioned, defamation of character, cyber bullying, cyber stocking, obscene publication and false information” Nwabuzor said.
SP Nwabuzor maintained that the Canadian based Nigerian lady has the right to make her complain of any harassments, extortions, kidnapping to Inspector General of Police for necessary actions rather than going about maligning him
“And as an educated person as she claimed to be, one would have supposed that she goes straight to the police and file a report to the Commissioner of Police or at the level of the Assistant Inspector General of Police zone 5 headquarters or even the inspector general of Police for investigation.
“She can’t be a judge in her own case by trying to malign the character of this personality that we mentioned.
“As I know, Festus Alenkhe is the current chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council”, Nwabuzor said.
Nwabuzor however stated the penalties of her offences ” Cyber stalking – Section 24 (1) (b) of Cybercrime Act, punishable with 3 years or 7 million naira or both.
“Cyber Bully – Section 24 (2) (a) of Cybercrime Act, punishable with 10 years or 25 million.
“Obscene Publication –Section 233D of Criminal Code, punishable with a term not exceeding 3 years or fine not exceeding N400.00.”